MATTHEW VENTURA

Baroque Bassoon

 

Matthew Ventura is a freelance performing artist based in Brisbane. With a passion for music of diverse genres, he enjoys pursuing fluency in a number of instruments and musical styles from musical theatre to contemporary worship music to historically authentic Baroque performance.

 

Matthew commenced undergraduate music studies at the ANU School of Music on both flute and bassoon, before majoring in bassoon and going on to win the Erika Haas Prize for the most outstanding instrumentalist of the year. He later received a scholarship to transfer to the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane where performance highlights included a concerto performance as a featured soloist with the Queensland Con Symphony Orchestra. 

 

Matthew then went on to pursue postgraduate performance training at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. During this time he appeared with MSO, QSO, TSO, and CSO as a guest bassoonist. He was also recognised as an accomplished soloist and chamber musician after winning several competitions, including the Australasian Double Reed Society Open Competition and 4MBS Chamber Music Competition.

 

After enjoying a lifelong excitement for Baroque music, Matthew has recently taken up the Baroque bassoon in an effort to rediscover historically authentic performance of this instrument. He enjoys playing it regularly with the Canberra Bach Ensemble and Queensland Baroque.

 

When Matthew isn’t playing music, he enjoys reading, swimming, running, cooking, playing 500, and working a job in ministry at a Presbyterian church.